Hozier is a well-known and popular indie folk songwriter. His third and most recent release, Unreal Unearth, was introduced in August of 2023 and a tour announcement soon followed. One of the venue locations, Red Rocks Amphitheater, is only an hour’s drive from Colorado Springs.

Red Rocks is a unique outdoor venue with beautiful rock formations framing the stage and seating area. The bench seating is a bit uncomfortable, but the view and performance distracted from the less-than-ideal seating situation. Hozier had the perfect balance between witty banter with the crowd and singing, and while the benches were uncomfortable, they offered a spectacular view of the stage and allowed sound to travel well.

Hozier is known for his romantic and powerful lyrics and his ethereal voice and instrumentals. While the tickets to his concert were a bit pricey, the venue and show were more than worth it.

Hozier mostly played songs from his new album, but he threw a few of his popular and most well-known songs into the mix, such as Take Me to Church and Almost (Sweet Music). His vocals sounded absolutely phenomenal in person, and he had a very talented crew on instrumentals. After it got dark there was a light show accompanying the music, which added to the magical feeling of the concert.

The concert started at dusk, which matched the atmosphere of his music. The excitement of the crowd was palpable as Hozier walked onto the stage, and he launched right into the first song in his new album, De Selby pt. 1. The rust-colored rock formations and the city of Morrison in the distance provided a beautiful backdrop for Hozier and his music.

The stage was completely dark as he started playing, then he slowly faded into focus and a million white pinpricks of light appeared around him, forming a mini galaxy. Once the song finished the audience went into a standing ovation, and Hozier pointed out the rugged beauty of the rocks and the mountains in Colorado, and shared a bit about himself and Ireland, his home country.

The crowd stayed standing as he began his next song, De Selby pt. 2. A new light show accompanied this song, and the crowd started dancing together and singing along.

The most memorable song by far was Cherry Wine, played about halfway through the concert. The song was accompanied by a projection of a red moon slowly waxing and waning, and everyone in the audience turned on their flashlights, creating another galaxy effect.

However, while Red Rocks is a gorgeous venue, and the show was amazing, it went rather late, and parking was a nightmare to get out of. It took an hour and a half at minimum for most people to get out of the parking lot, and everyone was jammed very close together, which made it difficult to navigate without hitting another person’s car.

While the parking was crowded, the seats were a bit uncomfortable, and the show went rather late, it was still an absolutely magical experience. Hozier is a very talented singer with a gorgeous voice, and his songs are beautifully written. In all, the concert was a ten out of ten, and whoever gets the opportunity to attend one of Hozier’s shows should absolutely go.